Forum:Copyright
Look, I know most of the editors who have heard from me concerning copyrights are probably very weary of all my yapping away about this legal issue and that legal issue. It's finally time that we begin to get serious about these images. Nearly all of the images and other content on this wiki is plagiarized, and we need to do something about it. We have several options: # Remove the images. This one comes to mind right off the bat, but it is dismissed just as soon. There are far too many images and losing them would make MLNWiki much less professional and visually informative. # Compress the images. I have read a bit of U.S. copyright law on images, and I discovered that it is not considered plagiarism if the images are compressed to a certain level. I would like to point out, however, that many of our images are in PNG format, and very few of us on this wiki know how to set compression levels for images. # Make an agreement with the LEGO Group. It's possible, but I do not know whether Wikia will approve of this decision. # Leave them and hope nobody notices. The very decision I would not like to make. Feel free to ignore this message and laugh at my desperate ranting, but it is truly time we thought about this. Thank you for reading. 02:26, 4 May 2009 (UTC) *Continues laughing* ... :On a serious note: # No: Removing the images really would take too much time. We'd sooner delete the whole Wiki before this happened, since there wouldn't be much information left with relevant information without referring to the images. # No: As the first one, sorting through all the images would take a long, long time. It's like solution 1, except even less users to help (due to knowledge of compression). # Maybe: This is probably the only real solution. However, not only Wikia may disapprove, but LEGO themselves, and, by drawing attention to ourselves, we lose solution 4. # ...: Do we actually have to change anything until someone complains about it? Although I agree this isn't the best way (or a solution), it's the most realistic way until we can find another means to resolve this. 12:32, 4 May 2009 (UTC) I agree with Kjhf, deleting the images would really ruin this Wiki. I have been marking all of images as "Fair Use" The other way to look at it is that many images are customizable, is it still LEGO's image if I changed the background or my creation is shown in a gallery module? If we get hit with some type of take down notice there are going to be a lot of other sites hit also. It would do LEGO more harm then good. I doubt they are going to say anything. It's not like we are making any money on this wiki. 04:56, 8 May 2009 (UTC) :We aren't, but the Wikia company is from advertising revenue. However, it is true that LEGO probably won't do anything if they do know about us, purely because they'll lose a lot of people who get stuck on ranks and come to us for help, who would have otherwise just quit. 21:47, 12 May 2009 (UTC) ::In response to your comments: #I get the feeling that you two are insinuating that I think that the images should be removed. Heavens no. I said the exact opposite. #Is LEGO that concerned about how much "business" they get? I though MLN was free...but perhaps I'm wrong... In addition, there are plenty of other resources for learning how to get past Ranks, such as MLNTips, MLNO, and the LMB's. #Regardless of our intent, the images are plagiarism. IMO, there's no doubting that, whether we are making money off it or not. :: 19:37, 13 May 2009 (UTC) i thought it is only plagerism if we took credit for it? its pretty clear thatwe ARE NOT trying to make it look like we created the stickers and modules and such we are using pictures from. :And here I quote: ::Regardless of our intent, the images are plagiarism. IMO, there's no doubting that, whether we are making money off it or not. :The problem is not whether we're violating copyright law or not, the problem is how we're going to stay legal while still holding on to our illustrations. : 20:52, 8 July 2009 (UTC) on the compression issue, yousaid most images are in PNG format, im guessing that makes it harder to comprees? people could retake all of the PNG images and reupload. it would take FOREVER, but it would work i think. :Wait a sec...I made a mistake. PNG's are, by default, at the highest possible compression level. It's the resolution, not the compression, that has a bit of control over legality. 02:41, 24 July 2009 (UTC) o. resolution is like fuzzyness and pixilated ness right? :Yes, roughly speaking. But I'm still not sure about it. 02:26, 25 July 2009 (UTC) As long as people do not worry you should not worry. If for some fact it is copyrighted and the owners do not want free advertisement (like Lego) then I would delete it-- 00:48, January 22, 2010 (UTC) Why are you worrying? This wiki would be USELESS without the pics (or at least really really boring) 21:31, January 26, 2010 (UTC) * *cough*fair-use*cough*non-free*cough*template*cough*w:c:lego:Template:C-LEGO*cough* --Lcawte (talk) 15:06, February 1, 2010 (UTC) : To expand on that, improve your template, and make sure all your images are tagged properly. Just do that, and you dont have to worry unless LEGO starts a Legal war with Wikia. If that happens, Brickipedia loses a heck of alot as well. --Lcawte (talk) 15:09, February 1, 2010 (UTC) ::This is a very good point. We may even pinch Brickpedia's template :D 13:51, February 14, 2010 (UTC) :::Yay! Creative Commons license I L U. I can get my bot implementing this whenever you guys are ready :) Ajraddatz Talk 16:03, February 21, 2010 (UTC) :Please do ASAP Ajr & bot :) To keep things simple, I've imported the picture under the same file name as Brickipedia, File:Copyright-lego.png. 20:42, February 27, 2010 (UTC)